Water-meter.



N0. 798,966. PATENTED JULY 4, 1905. J. THUMWN.

WATER METER.

APPLICATION FILED 0037.19, 1903.

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katented July d, 1905i.

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@JPEGIJFKCATION forming part of Letters Patent 1W0. $93,966, dated July 4, 1905.

Application filed October 19, 1903. Serial No. 177,618.

To It 1117111771 it m my con/corn:

lie it known that ii, .lonn' 'lnonsom, a citizen of the United States, residing in the herough of irlai'ihatlan, in the city of New York,

in the county and citate of New York, have invented certain new and useful lm pro vements in Water-Meters, of which the following is a speci lieation.

The invention herein set forth was devised,

IO primarily, in connection with wateraneters,

and hence the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter particularly describer l in connection with watermeters.

I 5 in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in ver' tical section, of a water-meter eml iodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom or under side view of the meter shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the bracket or spider for supporting the internal disk-chamber easing. jli ig. l is a view of the lower portion of a water-meter of the general construction shown in Fig. 1, the upper part being broken away,

5 partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, embodying a modification of certain of the parts; and Fig. 5 is a bottom or under side view of the meter shown in Fig. i.

it is well known that water when frozen in- 3 creases in volume, and the expansion due to the transformation is practically irresistible, and the result is that when water freezes in a closed vessel the vessel will be distorted or disrupted at its weakened portion, causing a destruction of the vessel for further use unless some provision is made to save the essential or operative parts of the vessel or structure under the stress, as by providing some predetermined part designed to yield or break 4- under the stress.

The meter shown in the accompanying drawings is a disk water-meter, and, referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A is the main or outer casing; it is the lower inclosing head or bottom 4-5 therefor; f] is the internal casing or diskchamber or chamber made in two parts contaii'iing the nutating disk; D is the spindle attached to the ball of the disk; it is the arm, which is connected to the shaft, forming a part of the registering mechanism located 5 within the outer inclosing case it above the dislechamber (.3, the registering mechanism not being shown; if is the hinged cover inclosing the dial and pointers, (not shown;) (-1}- is the inletport, and ll the outlet-port, of the meter, and .l: is the usual screen for excluding from the meter foreign matter.

The shape of the bottom B is shown in Fig. 2, being rectangular with the roul'iding cor ners, each of which corners is slightly recessed, as shown in Fig. 2, and this bottom it is firmly secured to the outer casing A by the bolts J and in a water-tight manner by means of the perpendicular upwardly-projecting annular flange iii. of the bottom l3, 5 which flange engages with the gasket ll and the overturned inwardly-projecting 'llange M of the main casing forming the seat for the gasket.

In order to support the disk-chamber casing (J and to hold it to its seat N on the inside of the main casing, a bracket or spider is provided, preferably of the constructionshown in Figs. 1, 3, and at. in the construction of this supporting member shown in the drawings P is a ring having inwardly-projecting radial arms Q, the inner ends of which depend and are designed to rest upon the bottom B, as shown in Fig. l. The outerdiameter of the ring P, as shown, is very nearly of 0 the same diameter as the diameter of the bottom of the disk-chamber U, furnishing thereby a large support for the disk-cl'iamber; but l desire it to be understood that my invention is not limited to the particular construction of 5 supporting member for the disk-chamber shown in the drawings and hereinabove described, nor that the su iporting member shall spread across the entire bottom of the diskchamber, the essential function of the supporting member being thatit shall furnish an adequate support for the disk-chamber casing. The gasket L is not designed. to but may project inwardly over the flange K. its shown in the drawings, this gasket does not project to any substantial extent over the flange hi; but if this gasket should project thereover the disk-chamber casing .in that event would rest meter should freeze a section, as S, of the bot tom B is shown recessed or weakened, this weakened section being designed to yield, break, or blow out under the expansive force of the frozen water, the yielding or rupture taking place at the thinnest or weakest place T. In practical use of the meters shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the upper portion of the outer inclosing case above the disk-chamber would contain water, the lower portion of the outer inclosing case would contain water including the space below the bottom of the disk-chamber surrounding the bracket or spider, and the disk-chamber itself would contain water. All

of the parts of the meter, including the weak ened section S, would be designed to withstand the ordinary pressures in service, such as the hydrostatic head, water-ram, and the like; but the weakened section S would be designed to yield under the excessive pressure due to the freezing of the contained water. It is of course not possible to definitely state in advance the exact manner of freezing or the location within the meter where the freezing would first take place under all circumstances; but no matter where the freezing occurs whenever the pressure within the meter becomes greater than the meter is designed normally to withstand this excessive pressure will travel in the direction of the least resistance to wit, in the structure shown in the direction toward the weakened section S and will disrupt or fracture this weakened section at the annular portion T and force or blow out this weakened section, thereby affording the requisite relief to the pressure. If, for example, the entire body of water within the meter should have frozen and with the relief of pressure consequent upon the rupture of the weakened section S the diskchamber casing will have been forced away from its upper seat N by the pressure of the ice above it, the disk-chamber casing will also have separated into its two component parts at the line of separation V by the pressure of the ice within it, the ice will flow through the opening in the bottom B produced by the fracture or blowing out of the weakened section S and the disk-chamber casing C, and the supporting-bracket will move with the mov ing or flowing of the ice, and under some circumstances a plug of ice will protrude through the opening. If the entire body of water within the meter shall, however, not have become frozen but yet the pressure be too great, then when the weakened section S yields or gives way the water within the meter-case will run out of the opening, thus affording the requisite relief and permitting the ice to flow and accommodate itself within the metercasings.

In the construction of the various parts of the meter shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I prefer to make the outer inclosing case or main casing A of composition metal, which will possess a high degree of tenacity and flexibility, the disk-chamber casing C of bronze, the supporting-bracket of more ductile composition, and the bottom B of cast-iron or low-grade brass.

From the foregoing it will be observed that in the event of freezing none of the essential operative parts of the meter will be damaged, and the only consequence of such freezing will be to cause the weakened section S to yield or break, and in order to make the meter entirely operative again it will only be necessary to furnish a new bottom B and assemble the parts, securely uniting them together in the manner hereinbefore explained.

I do not limit myself to any particular dimension or size of weakened section or area in the bottom B, for it is obvious that the relative size of this weakened section'will depend in some measure upon the character of the metals of which the several parts of the meter are composed. hen theseveral parts are made of the metals hereinbefore referred to, I have found that the relative area of weakened section shown in Fig. 1 is entirely adequate to afford therequisite relief, nor do I limit myself to the particular manner of weakening this section, (illustrated in section in Fig. 1,) for it is obvious that this weakening may be variously produced.

hen the diameter of the weakened section S is less than the diameter of the disk-chamber casing C or its supporting-bracket, the diskehamber casing and its supporting-bracket will be prevented from dropping through the opening formed in the bottom B when the section S has been blown out and after the ice has melted, as will be readily understood.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the general construction and arrangement of the parts heretofore described in connection with Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are the same in the construction of meter shown in Figs. at and 5, the parts in Figs. a and 5 corresponding to the parts in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 being similarly lettered. In the meter shown in Figs. a and 5 the bottom is circular in form, being provided with feet U, as many of which as may be desired, three of such feet being shown in the drawings, and this bottom is secured to the outer inclosing case A by the bolts J and the washers and in a water-tight niamler by means ol the perpcndicular annular 'llange it, gasket l1, and seat l rll, as hereinbelore explained in the structure shown in Figs. '1, 2, and 3. The support :inu' member or bracket is the same in construction as shown in Fig. 3, and the depending arms or prong-s (,2 rest upon the bottom 1% and encircle the central stud it in order to maintain the bracket disposed centrally in position, as belore explained. in this eonstrm-tion the bottom B is made ol' tough d uctilo metal and in its normal condition is bowed, as shown in li he. 4;. frlhould the water within the meter freeze, as hereinbel'ore referredto in connec tion with the construction shown in l ies. l and 2, the pressure induced thereby will when it has become greater than the bottom will normally withstand cause the lJOtllUl'I'l ll to dedate or spring downwzually and outwardly, as shown in dotted lines in lh ie'. at, thus allording the requisite reliel' ol' the pressure and permittingthe ice within the meter to move or accommodate itself within the consequent enlarged space, the disk-chamber and the bracket movii'ig downwardly with the movement o'l theice. r then the .iee has melted, it will only be necessary in order to restore the meter to operative condition to force back the bottom it to its normal condition, as shown in full lines in ll ig'. -'l-.. tihould, however, in any case the pressure be great enough to disrupt the bot tom ll, anew bottom would have to be secured to the meter-case, the same as heretofore explained in connection with the meter shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

it hat l. have heretofore set forth with referencc to the relative area ol the opening in the ljiottom B in comiection with the meter shown in liigs. i and 2 is a mlicahle to the metershownin Figs. -:l; and 5. iihile, as stated before, this invention was devised, primarily, for use in connection with water-meters, yet i do not limit my invention to its use in con-- nection with water-meters par M1, for my invention may be applied to other structures, and therefore while in the claims hereinafter following ,i claim my invention as applied to water-meters yet l. d sire it to be understood. that .l. use the term water-meter to include not only water-meters ar so, but all analogous and other structures to which my invention may be applied.

lln the claims hereinafter 'lollowing it use the term yltlltllllg to include all sorts of yieldl ing' or bending,- and 'iractme l t hat 'l' claim as my invention is l. in a nutter-meter the combination with a main casimr, o'l, an internal easing, an inelosine' head For the main casing provided with a yielding section, means to support the internal easing", such srmportine' means being; itself supported solely by the yielding section ol' the int-losing head near the center thereof, suhstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

in a water-meter, the combination with a main casing, oi an internal casino adapted to yield under internal pressure, an inclosing head l or the main casing, a support tor the internal casing, said support heinoitsell' supported centrally upon the inolosin r head of the main casino; and engaged thereby, substan tially as and. :lor the purpose set llbltli.

all sorts ol hreahinn' or 3. in a water-meter, the combination with a main casing, of an internal casing and an in closing head for the main casing provided with a. yielding section of less diameter than the diameter ol the internal casing; and means to support. the internal casing, said supporting means being its ell supported solely by the yielding section near the center thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

=11. in a water-meter, the combimition with a main casing, ol an internal casing, an inclusing head for the main casing, a yielding seetion in said inclosine' head ol less diameter than the diameter of the i eternal casing, a central stud on the yielding section, a support For the internal casino provided with depending feet or prongs which encircle said stud, sub-- stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. in a water-meter, the cr'nnbination with a main casing, 01: an internal casing, an inclos-- inc; head for the main casing, provided with a yielding section, and a support for the internal casing itself supported solely by the yielding section near the center thereof, the diameter oi? the yielding, section of the inclosing head .lor the main casing being less than the diameter of the support for the ii'rternal casino, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

'lhis s ecilication si ned and witnessed this 5th day ol tletober, it. D. 1902:

(l Ul'lhi Tiil Ofliiltltliil.

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